Tile bench for greenhouses.



PATENTED JAN. 24, 1905.

I No. 780,774.

w. 'G. BATE. TILE BENCH FOR GREENHOUSES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.18..1904.

fig

a, Jami-$6M UNITED STATES Patented January 24., 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

TILEQBENCH FOR GREENHOUSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of" Letters Patent No. 780,774, dated January24, 1905. Application filed April 18, 1904. Serial No. 203,617.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WARWICK GUY BATE, a citizen of the United States,residing at East Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio,have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Tile Benches forGreenhouses, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The object of this invention is to provide a greenhouse-bench of whatmay be termed the knockdown type-that is, it is one which is built up ofsuitable standards and spanning members which may be readily removableto form a bench of any convenient size or shape to meet the requiredconditions and after being so built up may be taken down at any time asreadily as it was set up. I

It is also the object of the invention to arrangethe cooperating partsin such a manner that this knockdown feature may be fully carried out.

In carrying out the above objects the invention contemplates the use ofvertical standards made of tiling, which are provided upon their upperends with suitable grooves which freely receive the end portions ofspanning members which are placed thereon. It is also important thatthese platesmay be capable of being lifted off from the standardswithout in any way injuring the parts which form the connection. Then,too, it is of great importance to arrange these spanning members in amanner such that when one is entirely surrounded on all edges with otherspanning members such a one can be removed without going to the troubleof removing the others about it. For instance, in case that one of thetiles in the middle of the benchthat is, with respect to the front andbackshould become broken then another one may be put into its placewithout removing the others in front or in the rear of it.

Greenhouse-benches have heretofore been made of wood or iron, or both,and sometimes they have tile tops supported by wood or iron frames; butthe wood portions of such benches rot, so as to become unsafe anduseless in a comparatively short time, while the iron is expensive andrusts rapidly. Of course deterioration of both said substances may beretarded by the use of paint; but this also is expensive.

The bench constituting my invention is made wholly of tile, whichneither rusts nor rots and is an ideal material for absorbing moisture.It is light and the parts are easily assembled and has in a high degreeone characteristic which .is of great importance to greenhouse mentowit, it is cheap.

The invention consists of the combination of upright tile standards anda top composed of tile plates spanning the interval between saidstandards and resting upon them and interlocking with them.

It also consists in a tile bench having other characteristics ofconstruction, which are shown in the drawings, and hereinafter pointedout and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a complete bench madeup of a large number ,of standards and plates. Fig. 2 is a perspectiveview of the under side of one of the tile plates, and Fig. 3 is aperspective view of one of the standards.

Referringto the parts by letter, A represents a standard having alaterally-widened foot or lower edge. These standards are preferably aslong as the tile plates B, which rest upon them, and they are preferablywidened laterally at their upperedges. In the top of the upper edge ofeach standard is a longitudinal groove a, which receives freely the ribI) on the under side of the edges of the tile plates.

In the simplest embodiment of the invenand ribs are of such relativewidth that the two ribs substantially fit and fill the groove Withoutbinding at this point, whereby any of the tile plates or spanning-platesmay be readily removed without interfering with or disturbing thosearound it. This of course substantially prevents the sidewise falling ofall or any of the standards and the consequent collapse of the bench.These standards and tile plates may be used, as described, to makebenches of any width or length, and the size of the bench may beincreased or decreased at Will by taking away or adding the requiredstandards and plates.

A notch a is formed in the upright edge or in both upright edges of thestandards. When the standards are assembled in rows, as shown, thesenotches form holes through which the steam-pipes may pass, and they alsoafford passage-ways for transverse air-currents.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. A greenhouse-bench consistingof substantially vertical tile standards, tile plates spanning theintervals between said standards and resting upon the upper endsthereof, and a tongue-and-groove connection between said standards andsaidplates whereby any of said plates may be readily removed withoutinterfering with those about it.

2. A greenhouse-bench consisting of a plurality of vertical standards,tile plates spanningthe intervals between said standards and restingupon the upper ends thereof, said standards having grooves upon theirupper ends, and tongues carried by said tile plates for fitting intosaid grooves, said tongues and said grooves having straight sideswhereby any of said plates may be readily removed without interferingwith those about it.

3. A knockdown greenhouse-bench consisting of a plurality of rows ofvertical tile standards, combined with tile plates spanning theintervals between said rows and resting upon the upper ends of saidstandards and interlocking therewith.

4. Aknockdown greenhouse-bench consisting ofa plurality of vertical tilestandards having each a longitudinal groove in its top combined withtile plates whose edges rest upon the tops of said standards, spanningthe intervals between them, and have downwardlyprojecting straight-sidedribs which enter said grooves.

5. A knockdown greenhouse-bench consistingof a plurality of rows ofvertical tile standards each having a groove in its top and having anotch in one or both of its vertical edges,

combined with tile plates whose edges rest upon the tops of saidstandards, spanning the intervals between them,and have downwardlyproject-ing straight-sided ribs which {it and lill said grooves.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

WARVVIGK GUY BATE.

Witnesses:

E. L. TnURs'roN, B. W. BROCKETT.

